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Two Belgian films aim to conquer Venice

07/07/2016

The Belgian feature-length films ‘King of the Belgians’ and ‘Home’ will be shown for the first time on the big screen at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. Directors Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth, and Fien Troch will be competing there for a prize in the Orrizonti Competition.

Once again, two feature-length films from Belgium have been selected for a prize at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, which is set to take place from 31 August to 10 September 2016. Both ‘King of the Belgians’ by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth, and ‘Home’ by Fien Troch, can add their names to the list of winners of the so-called Orrizonti Competition, which honours the best aesthetic and expressive trends in contemporary film.

This is not the first time that Brosens and Woodworth have been selected; their film ‘The Fifth Season’ had its debut performance in Venice. This time, in the ‘King of the Belgians’, they tell the story of King Nicolas III who, during a state visit to Turkey, receives word that Wallonia has declared its independence. With a solar storm grounding air traffic and preventing communication, the lonely king, played by Peter Van den Begin, is forced to set off on a long trek through the Balkans. During this road trip, he not only discovers the world, but also himself.

In ‘Home’ by Fien Troch, 17-year-old Kevin, played by Eppie Van Dun, leaves a secure institution only to find himself in a family where the conflict between the generations, of teenagers and adults, sometimes makes life difficult. The film is based around complex subjects, such as friendship, trust and loyalty. Troch’s script was previously awarded the International ARTE Prize of TorinoFilmLab that supports young film talent. This Flemish director describes Venice, the world’s oldest film festival, as the “perfect location for the film’s première”.